Fsu Questions Coles

The Receiver Is Being Questioned About A Trip To Houston And Whether He Attended A Party Thrown By An Agent.

July 13, 1999|By Alan Schmadtke of The Sentinel Staff

TALLAHASSEE - Florida State is asking senior receiver Laveranues Coles why he was in Houston on Friday - to visit his girlfriend or to attend a party thrown by an agent.

Bob Minnix, FSU's associate athletics director for compliance and legal affairs, acknowledged Monday that he was trying to determine the facts of Coles' trip and whether there was any connection to an unnamed agent.

``We heard a rumor about a party in Houston being thrown by an agent,'' Minnix said. ``We were told that five of our players were going to be there, so we started trying to find those five. We found four of them where we thought they'd be, and we tracked down Laveranues in Houston. He said he was there visiting his girlfriend, and we talked to her, too.''

Minnix said Coles denied his trip was linked to any prospect party.

FSU Athletic Director Dave Hart made Seminoles Coach Bobby Bowden aware of the inquiry before Bowden left the country Monday for a vacation.

To appease compliance officials, Coles will have to produce evidence that he paid for his trip to Texas. He also might have to account for his whereabouts while in Houston. At stake could be Coles' senior season.

FSU officials learned of possible player involvement with an agent late last week when a reporter called to confirm the story.

Coles, a fifth-year senior from Jacksonville, is part of one of the country's deepest receiving corps. Considered one of FSU's fastest players, Coles led FSU with a 20.9 yards-per-catch average in 1998. He caught 19 passes for 397 yards and three touchdowns. He also led the Seminoles in kick returns, averaging 28.4 yards and returning one kick 97 yards for a touchdown.